Crush
by Jmags-WriterofAwesomeness
Summary: Robbie has always had a crush on Cat, but Cat only thought of him just as a friend. But could one small moment between the two of them change her mind? Or will she run away from her feelings forever? Final songfic of my 3-part Bade/Tandre/Cabbie songfic series to "Crush" by David Archuleta. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE LYRICS.


_Hey y'all, I'm back! I have a few announcements first and then I'll get to writing._

_First of all, I apologize if this isn't really well-written. I've been having a really shitty weekend so far. Yesterday, I had an appendicitis scare (thank god it was only a sore muscle) and today, I'm operating on an upset stomach (more specifically acid reflux for you medical people out there, but no details because it's kind of disgusting) and 3 hours of sleep and I'm really groggy right now. So bear with me if this story isn't that good._

_Second of all, there's a new poll on my page. I mentioned this before in the Tandre songfic (at the bottom of the story in the author's note if you're interested in the details). I'm doing a new story soon called "Following the Stars" and I need to know what to center the plot around- no couples, one couple, one couple with others in the subplots, or multiple couples. If you want to know what the story will be about, here's a little spoiler: Sikowitz will give the gang a project that they have to read their horoscopes one day a week and follow exactly what it says- which could lead to some potentially wacky situations and huge amounts of drama. Please please please PLEASE vote! 'Tis very important that you do!_

_Okay, sorry, I will stop blabbing now. I've saved the best for last- CABBIE! This songfic will be to "Crush" by David Archuleta, which I think suits Cabbie perfectly. And… I don't know what else to say. I just want a new Victorious to come on soon- it's been a month already! Come on, Nickelodeon, stop torturing us! X(_

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the lyrics to "Crush." That is the sole property of the artist Mr. Archuleta himself and the people who helped him make the song.**

* * *

_I hung up the phone tonight  
Something happened for the first time  
Deep inside it was a rush, what a rush  
'Cause the possibility  
That you would ever feel the same way  
About me, just too much, just too much_

* * *

"So once you find out the y-value in the linear equation, you can use the substitution method to plug that value in, combine like terms, and then find the x-value,"

"Ohhh, I get it now!" a perky voice came out of Robbie's pearphone and into his ear. He didn't mind that she was practically shouting- he could listen to her voice all day long as if it were a broken record or a song on his pearpod stuck on repeat. "Thanks for the homework help, Robbie!"

Robbie smiled as he sat on his bed and listened to her tell a story about seeing a jaguar video online that reminded her of the time her brother tried to run really fast and ended up tripping and falling flat on his face. Could she be any more freaking adorable? It got him thinking, and he eventually drifted into a memory of an event that happened just last year- her lips on his, moving in ways that made his insides feel like jello, her hand resting gently on the back of his neck…

"Robbie! You still there?"

Her exclamation shocked him out of his flashback and back into reality. "Y-y-yeah, I'm still, um, on the phone," he stuttered. "Could you repeat that again?"

"That!" She giggled. "Did I say it right?"

Robbie rolled his eyes and was glad that he was on the phone with Cat so she wouldn't see him do that. "No, I meant repeat what you said before I zoned out."

"Oh, I asked if you were doing anything Saturday night! I need help on a script for Gradstein's class and everyone else has plans that night."

That's strange… because if he remembered correctly, the others had been complaining at lunch the other day that they had no plans for the weekend. Then, Rex had made a snide comment and Jade had taken him and cut off all of his hair with his scissors. Luckily for him, Rex was fine with it the next day because "chicks really dig bald dudes nowadays. It's the new fad! Get with the times, Rob!"

Her question surprised him greatly and it took him a while to respond. "Yeah, sounds great."

"Yay! Come to my house at six? My parents won't be home, though. They have to take my brother to the mental hospital because he tried to bite my mom's neck again. Apparently he thinks he's a vampire now."

Robbie's heart fluttered in his chest. He couldn't believe his luck! "Don't worry, Cat," he chuckled. "I'm sure your brother will be fine."

"I know, I just don't want to be alone at night," she whimpered. "So it's a date! I'll see you later!" Her voice instantly went from scared to happy and bubbly in a matter of seconds.

"Wait, Cat! Do you mean a real date?"

She giggled. "No, silly! It's just an expression! Bye!" And with that said, the phone line went dead.

Robbie sighed in defeat and, now flustered by this new development, accidentally knocked all the papers and textbooks off his bed. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered and bent down to clean up the mess he made. As he did so, the adrenaline pumped through his body and his brain went into overdrive. Why did she ask him to help her instead of someone else? Everyone else was more creative at writing stories and plays than he was! Beck's re-audition monologue was really well-done, Tori and Jade's plays got great reviews in the school newspaper, and Andre wrote a script last year that got a perfect score and a spot on the 100% board in Sikowitz's room.

Could it be that she liked him? That she invited him over and no one else because she wanted to spend time with him?

_No way, _he thought to himself as he climbed into bed. _Not possible._

What kind of girl would like a guy with a puppet? That's right; no one.

* * *

_Why do I keep running from the truth?  
All I ever think about is you  
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized  
And I just got to know_

* * *

He tried to forget about her, the girl he knew he could never have. However, his efforts were in vain. She thrived in his dreams, taunting him with her dazzling smile and sparkling personality- and he could never take his eyes off of her. She was omnipresent in every place possible, from school to his thoughts to his subconscious mind while he slept.

After yet another dream about Cat, Robbie woke up the next day with determination in his eyes. He had to find out if he would ever have a chance with Cat. The anticipation was killing him inside.

He realized that tomorrow night might be the only chance he will get.

* * *

_Do you ever think when you're all alone  
All that we can be, where this thing can go?  
Am I crazy or falling in love?  
Is it really just another crush?_

* * *

Friday was just another normal day at Hollywood Arts. Sikowitz's class was entertaining as usual, and the other classes just the opposite. The only change that day was that Sikowitz actually gave them homework. That crazy hippie never gave them homework! However, Robbie failed to be discouraged by this because he knew that Sikowitz would never get around to checking it- he was too involved in his coconuts to care.

Lunch was a little on the weird side, though. They had to eat in the gym today because it was pouring buckets outside. They wrinkled their noses as they ate, wishing that the smell of sweat and rubber would just go away on its own.

_At least the others can deal with it, _Robbie thought enviously. He pushed his food away from him- the disgusting smell had made him lose his appetite. Tori started to tell everyone about yet _another _opportunity that Sikowitz had given her- this time, it was a big part in a movie and the main character would be starring alongside Zac Efron. Jade just rolled her eyes and groaned, and Beck and Andre proceeded to ask her question after question about her audition.

Robbie couldn't care less at the moment- Sikowitz never gave _him _an opportunity like that. Reminding himself of this fact made him feel like a failure, an amateur that could never do anything right.

He wondered why he didn't hear Cat squealing over the fact that Tori might be working with Zac Efron; he knew he was one of her favorite actors. He got his answer when he glanced over and saw her shaking her head and laughing quietly to herself. _What the heck was that girl thinking?_

He wished it was him she was thinking about. He wished she was laughing about the time he purposefully threw a banana cream pie at his own face three years ago just to hear her melodic laugh or about yesterday when they skipped in a silly fashion up and down the hallways when no one was watching. He wished he was on her mind as often as she was on his.

Did Robbie have a crush on her? Most definitely so. If he had to rate his crush on Caterina Valentine on a scale from 1-10, it would probably be a 100.

Was it true love? He didn't know yet- but it was, without a doubt, more than just a one-sided high school crush. And there was no way that was going to change anytime soon.

* * *

_Do you catch a breath when I look at you?  
Are you holding back like the way I do?  
'Cause I've tried and tried to walk away  
But I know this crush ain't going away-ay-ay  
Going away-ay-ay_

* * *

After what seemed like a long, anxious wait, Saturday night finally rolled around. Since it was just going to be the two of them having some alone time, Robbie primped himself more than usual. Instead of a t-shirt, he put on a blue plaid button-down shirt and a pair of jeans that didn't have worn-out, faded holes in them. He then cleaned his glasses, put a little gel in his hair, and left Rex sitting on the chair beside his bed as he exited out of his house in a hurry.

Ten minutes later and barely on time, he rang the doorbell breathing like he had just run a marathon. He was so nervous that he had actually started hyperventilating in the car! He quickly took out his asthma inhaler, took one quick puff to calm himself down, and then stuffed it in the very bottom of his pants pocket so Cat wouldn't see it.

"Hey Robbie!" Cat chirped as she opened the door for him. "Come on in!" She was dolled up in a short dress with a chocolate-colored top and a frilly pink skirt. A light brown belt cinched her petite waist and Robbie noticed that she looked taller than usual. He looked down and soon saw why- she was also wearing a pair of four-inch pink high heels.

"Where did you get those shoes?" Robbie blurted out. He then squeezed his mouth shut to keep himself from shouting out his other innermost thoughts- thoughts that would never leave his mouth unless it was an absolute emergency.

Cat gave him a weird look but still answered his question willingly. "They were on sale at Simone's! Trina took me shopping with her one day and we both got a pair of Fazzini high heels." She laughed and twirled around happily. "You like them?"

Oh, he definitely liked them, alright- they made her legs look like those of a goddess. Robbie gulped. "They're beautiful, Cat." _Like you._

She giggled as she led him up the stairs to her room. "Thanks!"

They entered her very pink room and Cat trotted over to her matching pink laptop, which was sitting on a clear, white desk. She pulled up a chair and motioned for Robbie to sit next to her. As they sat down, Robbie couldn't help but be surprised at how neat and organized everything in her room was. It was one of her many idiosyncrasies- third behind her randomness and her love of life in general- that made him love her even more.

After some aimless chatter and yet another one of Cat's long, random stories (this time it was about a grandma that she thought looked like Betty Black), they got to work on her script, which was ironically about a guy gradually falling in love with his best friend, even though she was always dating other guys.

The "other guys" part really got to Robbie eventually, and he subconsciously gritted his teeth while Cat swooned over what kinds of guys she liked and what actors she would put with each character if it ever made it onto a stage or a TV screen someday (which it probably wouldn't, considering it was only a school project). He knew she liked the brooding, muscular tough guys- the guys that had every characteristic he obviously didn't have.

But what he didn't know was that it would only take one touch and a single stare for her to change her mind.

* * *

_Has it ever crossed your mind  
When we're hanging, spending time girl?  
Are we just friends? Is there more? Is there more?_

* * *

"So I was thinking that for the end of the play that Oliver could come in riding on a giant unicorn and save Colleen from falling off a cliff! I saw a movie with an ending like that once, but it was a giant, scary-looking bird that saved her, not a unicorn, and-"

Cat looked back to see if Robbie was listening but instead found him staring intently at her. Not the computer screen, not his phone, not her chest (thank god), but her face- something that no guy had ever really done for her before. Usually, even Andre and Beck would stop paying attention for a while and revert their concentration to a different object or subject, and she felt comfort at Robbie's warm brown eyes staring back at her. It made her feel special, like someone actually listened to the words tumbling out of her mouth. But as time ticked by, his constant staring started to make her feel uncomfortable.

"What?" she asked and giggled nervously the fifth time she caught him staring.

She saw his face go a deep shade of red and he blinked his eyes rapidly. "Sorry, I was just… daydreaming," he muttered and looked down at his lap in shame.

"No, it's okay," Cat reassured him. "I liked it."

He jerked his head up in surprise. "You did?"

"Kind of, but it got creepy after a while."

"Oh, okay," Robbie stammered, taken aback by her response.

"So, what should the ending line be?" Cat asked, changing the subject before the conversation got too awkward.

"Well, what you've got on the screen is pretty good, but you should be good after I delete this one pesky comma-" He placed his hand on the mouse and prepared to correct the mistake for her, but his action was interrupted when he felt her dainty hand rest on his knuckles.

At the skin-to-skin contact, sparks flew; there was no doubt about that. Of course in Robbie's case, because of his crush on her, it happened all the time, but this was something Cat had never felt before. She had felt that jittery, tingly feeling with her other boyfriends, but for some odd reason this one was much stronger and it left her reeling.

Robbie's eyes lingered onto their almost-intertwined hands and blushed. "Sorry, I should've let you do it," he laughed nervously. "It's your story, after all."

"No, it's fine, you can do it. You're a lot smarter than me, after all."

"Oh come on, Cat. You're also pretty smart."

"No, I'm not! People think I'm ditzy!" Cat yelled suddenly. "Now just fix the sentence and stop making me feel bad about myself like everyone else does!"

Her outburst made Robbie shut up pretty fast. "I'll fix it," he said quietly as Cat took her hand off the mouse and allowed him to fix the mistake.

They worked in complete silence after that incident, but before he left an hour later, Robbie pulled her into a hug. "Promise me something," he whispered in her ear. "No matter what anyone else thinks of you, don't think badly about yourself. I think you're an amazing person. You may not be the smartest person in the world, but you have so much potential to be one that it's astounding. Don't give up on yourself like that, Cat, because you mean so much to the world than you think you do."

Cat was stunned into silence. No one had ever said anything like that to her before in her life- not even her parents. "I won't," she whispered back and hugged him tighter. She buried her face into his shoulder and let the tears soak into the freshly-scented fabric.

Feeling her increase his hold on him, he allowed her to cry for a while and pulled away when the muffled sobs stopped. He went to exit the door and step outside, but stopped once he remembered what he had wanted to say to her in the first place. "Maybe I'm not like most people. I don't judge you like they do." He gave her one last comforting smile before shutting the door behind him.

Cat stayed frozen in her spot for a while, reeling from Robbie's kind words. She scrubbed away her tears and smudged makeup with the side of her hand and ran up the stairs to go to bed. She had to write in her diary about this.

Robbie was definitely not like most people. He was so much more than that- and now, Cat knew why.

* * *

_See it's a chance we've gotta take  
'Cause I believe that we can make this into  
Something that will last, last forever, forever_

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_You will not believe the day I just had! Some mean kids made fun of me in my chemistry class and it made me really sad, but I got over it quickly because I started doodling a picture of a strawberry. Hehe, I love strawberries and whipped cream! It's like sweetness on a puffy cloud of more sweetness!_

_Anyway, Robbie came over to help me on my script for Gradstein's class and it was fun! We talked and brainstormed ideas and typed and talked some more! It felt really nice talking to someone who understands me. Sometimes I feel like people don't listen to me, but he does when no one else seemed to care. It was nice that Rex wasn't with him, too- he can be such a meanie! He called me a basket case the other day- did I have a basket in my hands? No! It didn't make any sense! But it was still meant to be an insult, nonetheless._

_Tonight was weird, though. He kept staring at me and was really nice to me! He listened to every word I said and even cheered me up when I complained about not being smart. And I had this tingly feeling when he touched my hand and when he hugged me. Maybe I'm getting sick? I don't know!_

_Wait… do I LIKE Robert Shapiro? (Haha, Robert is such a gross name!) I do not! He's my best friend and nothing more! Okay, I can't think straight- I'm going to bed. Good night, diary! Don't let the bedbugs bite! Oh wait, they can't bite you because you're in my drawer and not my bed! Whoops! Sweet dreams, my friend._

* * *

_Do you ever think when you're all alone  
All that we could be, where this thing could go?  
Am I crazy or falling in love?  
Is it really just another crush?_

* * *

The thought slowly implanted itself into her brain as she tried to fall asleep. Was what she felt for Robbie more than just friendship? He did treat her like a queen, smiling at her and giving her compliments all the time.

But for some reason… she just couldn't imagine dating him. Not when he had Rex. Rex would probably get jealous and be even nastier to her. She couldn't risk ruining Robbie's relationship with Rex.

Surely he valued the puppet more than he valued her… right?

* * *

_Do you catch a breath when I look at you?  
Are you holding back like the way I do?  
'Cause I've tried and tried to walk away  
But I know this crush ain't going away-ay-ay  
Going away-ay-ay_

* * *

Two weeks later, Cat walked into Hollywood Arts hand-in-hand with a tall, handsome man. His green eyes had the same shine as a neatly-polished emerald and his muscles were so big that they nearly popped out of his shirt. She laughed at something he said and ran a hand through his soft, brown hair.

In return, he kissed her cheek and she felt his hands plant themselves on her waist. They cuddled for a while before the bell rang, but Cat had nervously bit her lip the entire time because a familiar face, looking shocked and quite depressed, had been glancing their way the whole time. Bryan asked if she was okay and she gave him a huge smile in response- but it was empty. She felt incredibly guilty. Not because she liked him back or felt like she was betraying him or anything… no, that couldn't be the reason. He was only a friend.

She knew Bryan wouldn't have noticed her change in mood anyway- she wasn't stupid. She could tell he was committed to the relationship only because of her looks. She could feel his hands sliding down lower and lower as time went on.

She wanted to break it off so badly. She had gasped slightly when she saw Robbie's face crumple and he rushed off in the other direction. All she had wanted to do was tear herself from Bryan's hold and give Robbie a hug. But she knew she couldn't do that.

She kept running farther and farther away from the truth. Who knows how far she'll run before she finds her way back?

* * *

_Why do I keep running from the truth?  
All I ever think about is you  
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized  
And I just got to know_

* * *

Finally, she did it. She dumped him over a text message. It was a mean thing to do, but Bryan deserved it. She had found out that he was cheating on her with another girl, and a swift burst of anger had given her the valor to force her hands upon her phone and send the text.

She had had enough. She was tired of being used by every guy she had ever dated. After posting one last Slap update, she sat on her bed and cried. Why did life hate her so much? Why would Mother Nature make her so under-appreciated and starving for attention? It was so unfair!

She was jolted out of her self-pity by a knocking on her door. She quickly wiped her eyes and purposefully looked down while opening the door. "Hey," a voice greeted her softly. "How are you feeling?"

She sniffed. "How did you know?"

"I read your post on TheSlap," the voice said. "You need someone to talk to?"

"Is Rex with you?" she asked hoarsely. Even though she knew he was just a puppet, she really didn't want him seeing her like this.

"Nope. Just me."

Cat finally forced herself to look up at Robbie. Seeing her puffy eyes and mascara-streaked cheeks, he grabbed her wrist and guided her towards the couch. He sat down and offered her his arms- and Cat, the sadness finally tearing her heart apart and the guilt eating her alive, practically jumped into his lap and went into hysterics.

Robbie didn't know what the heck to do- all he knew is that she needed someone to be there for her. He knew that she had been deprived of that shoulder to lean on ever since she was little. Her parents were never home and her brother was too mentally deranged to even appreciate her existence. All he could do was just hold her and tell her that everything would be okay.

"I'm so stupid! I should've told him earlier! Why didn't I realize it before?" he heard her berate herself into her hands.

Robbie's hold on her tightened instantly in his anger. "What did he do?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"He cheated on me. He only liked me because I was pretty. God I hate him!" she exclaimed. She looked up at him and saw his tense expression. "Oh, and I wasn't talking about Bryan."

"Wait…" he trailed off, his thoughts spiraling into confusion. "Who were you talking about, then?"

Cat looked into his eyes, the very same eyes that had stared deeply into hers many times before, and she knew. She knew what she wanted now and she knew what she had to do next.

She couldn't wait any longer. She couldn't keep running away from the fact that there wasn't anything between them. She had to do this before her speculations made her go insane.

So she did what any other character in a movie would do- she kissed him.

* * *

_Do you ever think when you're all alone  
All that we could be, where this thing could go?  
Am I crazy or falling in love?  
Is it really just another crush?  
Do you catch a breath when I look at you?  
Are you holding back like the way I do?  
'Cause I've tried and tried to walk away  
But I know this crush ain't going away-ay-ay  
This crush ain't going away-ay-ay_

* * *

They sat on a bale of hay as they watched Tori and Andre, along with Beck and Jade, perform a song on the balcony above the Asphalt Café. Three weeks they have lasted so far- much longer than Cat had originally thought.

"What are you doing?" she giggled as he licked his fingers and wiped them across her forehead.

He laughed and the cowboy hat on his head moved ever so slightly. "You had chocolate on your forehead."

"Oh my gosh! How did it get there? !" she exclaimed.

"I don't know. Did Tori spray you with the chocolate fountain again?" he teased her.

She playfully pushed his shoulder. Even since he had gotten rid of Rex, he had become livelier and actually started sprouting a personality. It was a nice change. He was sad about it at first, but who would he put first? A wooden puppet or the girl of his dreams? (Literally) Obviously, he picked the second one in the end. "Oh shut up! And it was a cheese fountain, silly," she corrected him.

They looked up and saw the others waving at them. She felt Robbie's arm slide around her waist and she laughed as he mouthed "We're getting married!" She gave them a thumbs-up and played along with the joke. After they left, they smiled at each other and Robbie gently pressed his lips onto hers.

Her heart beat a little faster and she entangled her hands in his curly hair. The bliss she was feeling was indescribable at the moment- too good for words, she guessed one would say.

"How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?" he murmured as he broke away slightly.

She grinned so big that her jaw muscles burned in a matter of seconds. "I think I'm the lucky one this time."

She kissed him again and let the magic of the moment completely take over her mind. She was the happiest she had ever felt in her life. She felt complete, like she meant something to someone finally. He wasn't the strikingly handsome knight in shining armor that she had fantasized about when she was a kid. No- he was so much more than that.

Robbie could feel it, too. This wasn't just some insignificant high school fling that he would never remember again after a couple years passed. Their connection, their friendship, their bond was so much stronger than that.

It was love. A true, passionate, mutual love that they had for each other. A love that others would witness and envy for a long time.

She just wished that it wouldn't had taken her so long to make her way back and embrace the truth in the first place.

* * *

_So there's the conclusion to the songfic series, everyone! Yay! Now all I have to do is finish my story on Fictionpress and I'll start writing the horoscope story as soon as I can! I hope you enjoyed that series- it was really fun for me to write. Let the reviewing begin! Your reviews make me smile, so please do so and that smile will just keep on growing bigger and bigger. :)_

P.S- Like the little reference I made to Dan's leaked video in the end? Too adorable! Can't wait until that episode airs! :D


End file.
